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The Influence of Birds on Culture

Winter Interlude

Along the icy street, a procession of geese
amble with ease through the snow, oblivious
to the weekday morning’s comings and goings,
not affording even an occasional glance
at the cars cautiously
skirting by.

To a roadside pond intently they head,
like feathered emperors of the elements,
nomadic masters of land, lake, and sky,
undeterred by the harsh, frigid breeze
or the water’s frozen surface
before them.

Another rest stop to a lengthy flight?Perhaps a homecoming? But then no sooner
these thoughts do they vanish beyond
my rearview mirror, into memory…
only web-footed tracks adrift
in wintry white.

This is a poem that I wrote several years ago. A gaggle of Canada geese used to hang out by a pond near where I worked. But then they disappeared. For several months there were no geese. I figured that I would not see any there again till the next spring or summer. Fortunately, I was wrong. The sight of these birds, especially right after a snowstorm, was a welcome surprise.

Laura, I appreciate your kind words! I’m looking forward to seeing more of the portraits on your site. It’s good to have you back on a regular basis. Also, thanks again for turning Draw A Bird Day into a monthly event! Happy New Year!

I’m looking forward to having time to create portraits! hehe. It’s back to work for me (tax season), may need to cut back again on the blogging, but hopefully at least weekly or probably a bit more….Thank YOU again for letting us know about DABD. It’s so wonderful!

From conversations with folks who work in accounting offices, I’ve gathered that tax season can mean 60- to 80-hour work weeks. I hope your schedule’s not that bad! Maybe the blogging and illustrations will make for a nice break from all that!

No Canada geese, but varying birds that like to alight at the nearby Albert Park Lake wetlands areas, and in our native gardens where I live. I wish I could give you bird sounds; they’re very interesting! However, the blackbirds love to scratch about in the dead leaves and soil that accumulate on my open balcony, hoping to find something to eat, before I sweep it all away, occasionally! A good and creative 2016 for you and your talented wife. 🙂

A happy and creative New Year to you as well! By the way, the blackbirds sound like wonderful (and mild mannered) visitors to have. Once while on vacation, I left a croissant outside on a balcony table. I was fetching my coffee from inside, but no sooner than I had the cup in my hand a boat-tailed grackle swooped in and snacked a bit piece of my breakfast!

The blackbirds are mild, in fact quite timid around humans, although one can eye-them for a few seconds from behind glass and they don’t get frightened — I just look away quickly!
LOL re your breakfast! I had a similar experience at the beach with a seagull. Someone asked me for directions and, with mostly-eaten donut in the hand I was using to point, a gull swooped down and snapped it out of my fingers…cheeky bugger! We both laughed! Nature is wonderful and humorous. But, where I live, I feel as if I am right in the bush. I am a ‘bush’ girl! 🙂

Yes, I agree…I forgot to mention that a few were hovering over me, with my donut-filled pointing finger gesticulating as I was giving directions, and then swooped when he/she saw the ‘moment’ to do so! I immediately yelled “Hey, give it back!” and almost felt like chasing that cheeky bird! We both then had that very hearty laugh. hehehe

Beautiful poem :-). I see them huddle in groups throughout the winter on the river here. It is particularly impressive on very cold mornings (-20C, -4F) when there is mist on the river and the geese, with their heads and necks tucked into their large feathery bodies, look like they are covered in frost! During the day, they fly in groups to other parts of the city.

Thanks, Myr! They move from pond to pond in this area, too. The ones I saw that snowy morning could have come from one of several nearby ponds. The contrast of their feathers with the snow is an impressive sight. The scene you as well describe is quite amazing.